Six and Nine
by sofeyrose
Summary: "I can runaway if I want to. There's nothing holding me back from leaving anymore, not really,"she said, her ocean blue eyes boring into his pale golden ones. Oneshot


When Uzumaki Naru, Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi first met the Jinchuriki of the Rokubi, the encounter wasn't as pleasant as one might suppose. One could assume a sort of kinship would form almost immediately between them, both being Jinchuriki, but that was not the case with these two. After all, a perfect shinobi is said to be the perfect weapon, and Jinchuriki are living examples of this. They are bred, in a way, to live and die against the enemy of their respective village, and despite what the Sandaime Hokage might claim, it is the same for the Kyuubi Jinchuriki as well, even if she doesn't know it yet.

Naru gazed at the trees with clear satisfaction. She made small traps like a professional, though she mostly owed that to years of countless successful pranks and crafty plans that made her more in tune with her creative side. Though, these traps were quite dangerous if you were still a fresh Chuunin. This was actually her first time at making traps that could be much worse than a harmless prank, and Naru was proud to say that she did very well for a first time, though it wouldn't hurt to make some adjustments, just in case. Kakashi had told her it would benefit her skills as long as she practised making traps and kept them from getting rusty, and while she usually didn't listen to a higher authority, in this case she had too, even if she didn't particuarly like her sensei.

The sound of a twig snapping had her whirling around, a kunai already in hand. There was no one there, though, and Naru turned around once more, only for her kunai to clash with a certain choice of weapon that left her dumbfounded.

A bubble blower was holding its own against a kunai, of all things. Her eyes narrowed as she crammed her neck up (he was more than a head taller than her) to glare up at her attacker. He didn't look much younger than her fourteen years, probably sixteen, maybe seventeen at the most, tall and lanky. His eyes were golden, an unusual eye colour where she came from, but Naru didn't judge, though she'd be lying if she said she wasn't more than a little amused by the light blue kimono he wore, even though the exposure of his chest made her uncomfortable.

There was power rolling off of him in waves;power Naru knew all to well, even if she'd only experienced it once before. Feeling a slight shiver go down her spine at the memory, Naru pushed it to the back of her mind.

They both knew what the other was. Both hosts to a Bijuu, forced to bear them without their consent. Monsters in the eyes of the majority of their respective villages, villages who they'd sacrificed so much for, even at such tender ages and without the knowledge that they'd sacrificed anything at all untill they were teenagers.

Though, that didn't mean that just because they were the same that Naru had to be nice to him, especially considering he'd suddenly attacked her out of the blue.

"Who the hell are you?"she demanded, pushing pressure into the kunai to try and drive him off of her.

"Funny. I was going to ask you the same thing,"he drawled.

Naru held back the urge to punch his face. "Uzumaki Naru,"she said, eyeing him.

"Utakata."

An uncomfortable silence followed, lasting for all of thirty seconds before they'd settled down on the green grass. Naru didn't ask him about the scratched out headprotector he had on his person, and he didn't ask her why she'd occasionally mutter something under her breath. Secretly, Naru was thankful for that, though she wouldn't admit it.

"So..you're friendly? You and the one you're keeping?"

Naru snorted mentally. The Kyuubi, friendly? She'd had only one conversation with the Bijuu within, and he didn't give her the impression that he was friendly at all. _'More like bloodthirsty and as hateful as hell.' _Still, you could call her friendly if you pretended not to notice that she had a habit of disrespecting authority and could be incredibely rude at times.

Outwardly, she gave him a ghost of a smile. "Depends,"she said, before launching into her story. How she was an orphan for as long as she could remember, how she lived alone in a small apartment, how she was treated with prejudice by the Academy instructors, the way Konoha treated her as if she was lower than dirt itself, and she even told him that she'd only learned of her Jinchuriki status a few months ago, and by a traitor of her own village, no less.

"Overall, my life is pretty shitty here, but at least I have somewhere to go back to,"she said, shrugging her shoulders. "What about you? Since you're here, I'm guessing you're not a member of your village any longer." She gave a not-so-discreet glance at his scratched out foreheadprotector." Did they do something to you that caused you to leave?"

He flinched. _'Crap, struck a nerve there,'_Naru thought, wincing slightly. "Sorry."

"Don't be,"he said stiffly.

And so, he did his best to tell her his story. Their childhoods were very similar. Utakata never had anyone to really look out for him either, and Naru still wasn't sure whether Iruka-sensei thought she was a monster or not (her trust in him was quite shaken after Mizuki's revelation). Except, there was this one man. Utakata was frowning once he got to this part, clearing distressed by what he was saying.

"I was a Genin early. I was a loyal shinobi of Kirigakure, after all."

He went on about his master, Harusame. At first, he spoke of nothing but praises for the man, but once he realized what he was doing, his tone took a darker turn. He snorted and said Harusame claimed Utakata's life was precious, that he was precious to the man. It was obvious to Naru that Utakata didn't believe Harusame, and she suspected that there had been more than a bit of bad blood between the two at some point.

Back in Kirigakure, Utakata had been comfortable with his lifestyle. He had no friends or parents, and didn't really have much love for the village itself, and he also admitted that it wasn't the best, but he had his master and he didn't care for anyone else. And then Harusame had tried to take the Rokubi from Utakata, tried to extract it from his body. He was confident that the man had done it to try and kill him, as there was no other way to remove a Bijuu from its Jinchuriki. If they were extracted from their vessels, it meant certain death for the Jinchuriki, and there was no way around that.

"The Rokubi took over after that and killed him. When I came to, I couldn't stand to be around anyone else. It was mere luck that I managed to run into you. I've been wandering around,"he explained.

"So both of our lives suck,"Naru decided after a moment. "I'd give you a hug, but somehow I doubt you'd like that." She stood up, and stretched. "Well, I'd better get back to Konoha soon. I've got to meet with my team in a few hours, and I doubt they wouldn't search for me. If they find me out here outside Konoha, there'll be questions, and I'd rather not answer them." She offered him a small smile. "We should keep in touch."

"Don't you think that will be a little difficult?"he said sarcastically, getting to his own feet.

"That's true. But..." Her smile became more of a smirk, and she pulled out her kunai and scratched at the bark in a tree, making a large **V **in it. She stepped back and admired her handy work. "There we go. Now we can always come back here, if only to talk again. It'll be your job to wander around the villages and tell me which is the best one, and maybe even the ramen they sell, if they have it. You got that?"

"I won't always be here,"Utakata warned.

"Doesn't matter,"Naru waved him off. "As long as you can come here sometimes so we can talk, then that doesn't matter. Deal?"

"Deal."

She extended her hand and grinned when he took it. They shook once, and then they vanished.

As Naru sped away back to Konoha, she couldn't help but think:

It...surprised Naru that she was looking forward to her future meetings with Utakata. She'd never looked forward to anything, not really. Her life was one boring routine, and she knew it. But then Utakata entered her life in a sudden burst of unpredictability, something she certainly hadn't expected. And for him to be a Jinchuriki as well?

Yet, Naru couldn't help but smile at the thought of meeting him again.

**Nearly a month later**

Utakata looked at Naru increduslously. "Your sensei let three fresh Genin decide whether to continue the mission? Did he take into account the next enemy you'd be facing would almost definitely be of Jonin rank, if not higher, considering the increase in the mission rank? He wouldn't be able to protect you three and battle the enemy at the same time."

"Please don't dump me in with those two. You've given me quite a few pointers, and I like to think I'm better than some greenhorn Genin,"Naru muttered.

Utakata sighed. "Sometimes I wonder about you Konoha-ninja."

"Good things about me, I hope."

"Of course,"he said dryly.

Naru couldn't stop the giggle from escaping her mouth. "Utakata?"

"Yes?

"I think I know why you always have that pipe in your mouth."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"You're going to be one of those men who smoke pipes when you're older just to have something in your mouth,"Naru sniggered.

Utakata's exasperated look only made her laugh harder. Rolling his eyes, he turned away and proceeded to blow bubbles from his pipe. "Very mature, Naru."

"You're not denying it..."

"No comment."

**The next day**

"Naru!"Sakura exploded. "You're late! Kakashi-sensei is already here!"

Naru had the decency to look sheepish. "Well..." Quickly, she thought of an excuse. "A little old lady had trouble carrying her groceries, and since I'm such a kind, helpful person, I helped her carry them to her house. She was so grateful;she kept thanking me, and I couldn't escape."

Actually, Naru was lying. She'd spent most of last night out of Konoha talking to Utakata, and she'd a hard time sneaking back in when there was shinobi on patrol. When she'd finally gotten into bed, it was 3 in the morning. She'd only had four hours of sleep at the most, and not even her alarm clock could get her up. When she did finally get up and realize the time, she was running around her apartment like a headless chicken trying to get dressed and have breakfast before rushing out of the house to Team 7's usual training ground.

And Sakura saw right through the lie. "Liar!"she shouted.

Shrugging her shoulders, Naru glance at the other members of Team 7. Sasuke was giving her a look that said that-was-the-best-you-could-come-up-with? Kakashi was just giving her an eye-smile...Kami that was creepy.

"Well now that we're all here,"Kakashi said cheerfully. "Lets start with the usual, shall we? Sasuke, you're with me. Sakura, Naru, you'll be sparing with each other. After, I want you both to give each other an honest evaluation of each others strengths and weaknesses. Offer each other advise to improve your fighting styles, okay?"

"Hai!"the two girls said.

As soon as Sasuke and Kakashi were gone, Naru dropped into a fighting stance that was unfamiliar to Sakura. "Ready when you are, Sakura."

Sakura frowned. _'There it is again. That smile,'_she thought. _'It's different from the rest. It seems brighter, almost. Happier. Just what is going on with Naru to make her so happy? She'd never smiled like that back in the Academy.'_ Not showing any other sign of these thoughts outwardly, Sakura dropped into the traditional taijutsu stance for the basic Academy taijutsu. "Hai!"

**Five months later**

When Kakashi presented Team 7 with forms to sign for the chance to take the Chuunin Exams, Utakata was still wandering, so Naru didn't get the chance to tell him about it until he came back, and when he did, her team and herself were still in the middle of completing the third stage of the Chuunin exams. And so, Utakata had to wait for several hours before Naru appeared, out of breath and looking like she'd just ran a marathon.

"You are never going to believe this!"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh?"

She jabbed a finger at him. "Don't you 'oh' me. It's your fault you decided to wander around longer than normal, otherwise you'd have already known I'm competing in the Chuunin Exams!"

Now _that _made his eyes widen. "What?"

She took hold of his arm. "Come on, I'll tell you all about it."

And so she did, making sure Utakata knew everything that had transpired. By the time she'd finished, Utakata didn't know what he wanted to do more. Give her sensei a tongue lashing for even considering recommending a team fresh out of the Academy for the Chuunin Exams (because Utakata knew just how dangerous they could be, and frankly, he didn't want Naru anywhere near danger that serious), grab Naru and hide her from the familiar man she'd encountered in the Forest of Death (actually, the man wasn't just familiar. Utakata knew just who the man was, and he didn't want Orochimaru of the Sannin of all people near Naru. At all) or give Naru a tongue lashing for being so excited about entering the Chuun Exams in the first place. The girl wouldn't know danger if it stared her right in the face.

"From now on, you are not allowed to take part in anything that so much as looks dangerous,"Utakata decided.

Naru scowled at him. "You can't do that."

"Oh, but I can,"he assured her. "Just watch me."

"But I'm a shinobi, Utakata! With my profession, I'm bound to get into danger sooner or later!"she protested.

"I don't care,"he said simply. "If you are going on a mission that has even a hint of danger and of the rank actually being higher than it's supposed to be, I am coming along. I will be careful to mask my chakra from everyone."

Naru crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, but it had no heat. _'Overprotective fool,'_she thought with a grumble, but there was a fondness to her thought.

"Glaring at me won't change my mind, Naru,"he said calmly.

"Hmph!"

**Several weeks later**

"You see, Gaara, I didn't spiral into the darkness because of some people I hold close to my heart,"Naru said weakly as she locked eyes with Gaara's green ones. Memories of Ayame and Teuchi flashed through her mind, but the one who was almost always in a memory was Utakata. "They saved me from myself. Gaara, I understand how you feel, but you need to let go of your hatred. It just isn't worth it. You can still have your existence acknowledged, but in a different way. You can be loved, Gaara, but only if you give people a chance to."

Gaara stared at her. _'Love...is that what makes her so strong?'_he questioned himself, turning to gaze at the sky.

Just then, Uchiha Sasuke dropped down and landed with some grace onto the ground. He glanced at Naru. "He's done,"he stated. "All of his chakra is nearly depleted. He won't be getting up any time soon." Sasuke paused. "Sakura's safe too,"he added.

Naru slowly closed her eyes. "That's a relief,"she murmured, finally allowing herself to relax after this stressful day.

She was just glad Utakata wasn't here, otherwise he'd be giving her a tongue lashing about getting into a fight with the Ichibi Jinchuriki.

**A few days later**

She saved Sakura from Gaara. Naru saved Konoha from Gaara's wrath. From the one-tailed Bijuu's wrath. And what was the thanks she got? Sakura believed it was Sasuke who saved her, and the majority of Konoha didn't even acknowledge that she'd saved many people that could have been killed by the Shukaku if it weren't for her. Frankly, their blatant unacknowledgment felt like a kunai to the heart, despite the fact that some part of her expected that response. But she'd hoped, hoped that perhaps this time, they'd acknowledge what she did, acknowledge and recognise her existence.

When she greeted Utakata at their usual spot, he'd almost immediately noticed that her eyes lacked their normal shine, that her tone seemed just a little less fiery. He hadn't pried, of course. He respected her privacy, and Utakata was patient. He knew she'd tell him what was bothering her sooner or later. It was just the way it was between them;they kept no secrets from each other.

Sure enough, Naru told him the reasons for her lackluster after their greetings, when they had seated themselves on a large enough branch that could manage to hold their weight.

"I saved Sakura from death by defeating Gaara, but she thought Sasuke was the one who beat Gaara and saved her. It just goes to show she has no faith in me at all. I'm just the same old deadlast who can't even perform the Bunshin Jutsu properly,"she said, her tone bitter.

"Then she isn't worth befriending."

She raised her eyebrows at that. "What makes you think I was considering befriending her?"

"I'm just voicing my option." He gave her a side glance, and took to his hobby of blowing bubbles from his pipe for several seconds. He stopped blowing bubbles with much reluctance, and removed the pipe from his jaws. "If she hasn't made an effort to get to know you, even after all these months of working together on the same Genin team, then she isn't worth your time. People like her don't realize what they have until its too late."

"Hmm..." Naru reached out and snagged Utakata's pipe from his hands, ignoring his now narrowed eyes. "Too true. You know, I'd wanted to befriend her while I was still at the Academy. Back then, I thought she was kind of like me. She used to be bullied because of her unusually wide forehead and pink hair, and I could see she was lonely. She was very shy, too. But then she met Ino, and when Sakura saw Sasuke, I just knew my chances at befriending her were slimmer than ever. She became obsessed with him, and any attempts I made to start a conversation ended with her shrieking something about staying true to her _dear _Sasuke-_Kun_." The sarcasm in her voice was obvious. "She actually thought I was a lesbian. Not that I have anything against lesbians, but honestly, that offended me and I kinda got a little carried away with giving her a tongue lashing."

"I'm assuming you told her this Sasuke isn't good for her?"Utakata asked.

"Of course I did! Her obsession with him was unhealthy back then, and it's more than unhealthy at this present time!" She sighed heavily, and fiddled with the pipe in her hands. "She's just too stubborn for her own good."

"Like you?"

Naru narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you start, Utakata."

He shrugged. "I'm just saying how it is."

She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless. "Just...thanks for listening to my ranting. I really needed to get that all off my chest."

"Think nothing of it,"Utakata dismissed. "It's what friends are for, right?"

_'Friends...' _She bit her lip. Was that what they were? Yet, Naru just knew the word wasn't what she had in mind. Her smile widened. "Of course."

"So..."Utakata turned his gaze on her. "Just why were you fighting the Ichibi Jinchuriki in the first place?"

Naru paled. _'Oh, crap!'_she thought, nervously looking at Utakata's unyielding, intense gaze. _'I am in some deep shit.'_

Somewhere in her mind, a demonic laughter echoed around the previously silence sewer.

**One month later**

Time passed. It flew by quickly, almost too quickly for Naru's taste. After just barely avoiding a nerve-wracking conversation with Utakata (she'd managed to escape him and hurry back to Konoha. She knew that the only reason she managed to escape him was because he went easy on her and gave her a head start), Naru had the luck (or is it unluck?) to run into a certain white-haired pervert again (she hadn't mentioned the man to Utakata because she knew he wouldn't take the news of the man being a massive pervert well. It was a disgraceful way to behave in his eyes, and she knew he'd probably march right up to the man, missing-ninja status be damned, and then beat him to a pulp. And Naru really didn't want Utakata to get into trouble with the authorities any more than he already has just because of one man's flaws).

"Fancy meeting you again,"the man drawled.

Naru glared at him ."What do you want, pervert?"

He instantly looked offended. "I'm not a pervert! I'm a super-pervert!"he announced, as if it was a great honor to be such.

She stared at him. "And that's better, how? Being a pervert isn't really considered something to be proud of, you know."

He sniffed. "Kids these days! They don't know what they're missing!"

"I'm not a kid, pervert,"she said, annoyed. "I'll have you know I am fourteen years of age."

"That's not much of a difference."

She threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. "Whatever. Look, I'm thankful for you getting rid of that seal the creepy looking guy in the forest put on me, and I'm especially thankful you decided throwing me off a cliff was a good way to practise with the Kyuubi's chakra." The sarcasm in her voice could not be more obvious. "But I'm trying to find a nice spot to train."

"Why don't you use the one your team uses?"

"Sasuke's already training in that one with Kakashi,"she dismissed. "Look, I'm grateful for your help during that one month, but I'm not going to always rely on others to help me become stronger. I need to become stronger by myself too." That, and she really needed to sort out these feelings she had for Utakata...

**Flashback**

_"Admit it! You're a mother-hen!"Naru accused Utakata, crossing her arms over her chest in stubborn determination._

_Utakata sighed. "For the last time Naru, I'm not a mother-hen."_

_"Then what do you call it when you go into 'overprotective mode' when I so much as hint that one of my missions are going to be dangerous? Huh?"_

_"I'm not a mother-hen,"he repeated simply._

_"Yes you are."_

_"No, I'm not."_

_"Yes you are!"_

_"No, I'm not!"_

_"Are too!"_

_"I'm not!"_

_"You are!"_

_"I'm not!"_

_"You are!_

_"I'm not!"_

_"You are!_

_"I'm not!"_

_"You aren't!"_

_"I am-"Utakata cut himself off, twitching slightly as he caught sight of Naru's satisfied grin. "How can someone so small be so annoying?"he wondered._

_"Hey, I resent that!"_

_"And I don't really care,"Utakata said simply._

_Naru pouted. "You're a nasty piece of work, Utakata, you know that?"_

_"And you are an annoying, childish girl who doesn't know when to give up."_

_Naru hmphed, and glanced at the pipe Utakata had in his hands. Her eyes gleamed. "Say, Utakata..."_

_"Yes?"_

_She snatched the pipe out of his hands, grinning as his eyes widened, before she jumped off the branch they were sitting on, landed on the ground and started sprinting._

_Utakata's eyes narrowed. "Naru..." Jumping off the branch, he landed with some grace on the ground._

_Meanwhile, Naru was having the time of her life. Her grin widened, a sort of childish glee spreading across her face as she took a few left turns, glancing back every now and then to make sure Utakata wasn't behind her. This was the best fun she'd had in years!_

_That, and she'd actually managed to catch Utakata off guard for once and steal his pipe from him right under his nose. If that didn't count for something, she didn't know what did._

_So happy was Naru, she didn't sense Utakata's chakra signature closing in on her untill it was too late._

_Naru didn't know what really happened then. One moment, she was running like a bat out of hell, grinning like a loon, and the next she was laying on the ground and locking eyes with familiar golden ones._

_And his face was so close...she could feel the gentle exhales and inhales on her neck._

_"I believe you have something that's mine,"he drawled, prying his pipe from her dainty hands._

_Naru couldn't help it, she blushed crimson. "W-whatever, dattebayo,"she whispered quietly._

_He frowned, gazing at her face. "Do you have a fever, Naru?"_

_Naru blinked. 'Utakata, you may be a strong ninja, but when it comes to emotions like these, you're totally clueless. You really are dense.' "Course not,"she mumbled, trying to hide her blush with her long, blond hair..._

**Flashback End**

"Earth to the brat!"a loud voice brought her back into focus.

Naru blinked, staring up at the white-haired man with a...frog? She was sure it was a frog, and it was on the man's shoulder. Or was it a toad? "Oh. You're still here."

"Don't try and divert my attention! I saw that look in your eyes..."

Naru just stared at him.

He gave her a sly look. "So...who's the lucky man?"

...

...

...

Punch! Punch! Kick! Kick!

"Owwwwwwwwwwww!"

"Get back here, you stupid pervert! I'll kill you!"she screamed, running after him with a dangerous looking sword (just where'd she get that from?) in her hands.

The poor man had to avoid the enraged Jinchuriki's attempts to mutilate him while also running away from a bunch of women who'd heard the commotion and joined the chase when they heard Naru shouting about him being a pervert.

"I was only asking a question!"

"I don't care! It's my business, not yours, you stupid old man! Now hold still!"

"Owwwwwwwwwww!"

**Several weeks later**

She didn't believe it...

They lied to her...and for what? To protect her from Iwa and Kumo? Iwa wouldn't dare to attack Konoha, not while Iwa itself was still recovering from the Third Great Shinobi War. Konoha should have been more concerned with protecting her from the inside of the village...she knew some people in Konoha would just love nothing more than to be rid of her, or use her as a weapon, possibly.

But the betrayal ran deeper than that.

_It's for the good of the village. And besides, I'm positive Konoha's treating you like the hero you are. Though, I really hope you don't end up too spoilt._

Her own father was none other than the Yondaime Hokage, the one who sealed the Kyuubi inside her.

Naru felt like she'd just been punched in the gut.

He knew what would happen, he had to! Namikaze should have known that Konoha would never treat her like a normal kid. She was a Jinchuriki, and they were naturally feared throughout the Elemental Nations.

He'd forced her to bear the Kyuubi and all the consequences that would follow, and Naru hated him for it. She wanted to break his jaw. She wanted to make him feel how she felt, lonely and hurt, existence remaining meaningless for most of her life untill she'd found people who had probably saved her from insanity just by being there for her.

But she also had to thank him, no matter how much she wanted to hurt him. Because if he hadn't made her a Jinchuriki, she probably wouldn't have met Utakata. The thought of a life without him made her shiver.

Naru could forgive with time, but she would never forget.

Perhaps Utakata was right. That going rouge was the best way to go...

The next time one of their meetings occured, Naru was early. She'd made her decision, and she wasn't going back on it.

Utakata was sitting on a branch, looking lazy and patient all in one. "You're early,"he noted, landing gracefully on the ground in a crouch as she approached. He straightened up, eyeing her.

Naru went straight to the point. "I want to leave Konoha."

Utakata stared at her.

She tilted her head. "Is it that hard to believe?"

"Its is actually, especially considering you haven't shown any signs of wanting to leave in the first place."

"There's a first for everything, but this letter should help explain things,"she said, taking and unrolling a letter out of her pant's pocket. She gave it to him. "Read it."

He eyed her for a moment. "This isn't another trick, is it?"

Naru smiled at him. "I wish it was, but I'm afraid everything you read is the absolute truth. Trust me on this."

And so he did. When he was finished, he just stared at it for a few seconds, and Naru got the strange impression he was trying to glare a hole through it.

"I see,"he said simply, handing the letter back to her. "And what about Ayame-san and Teuchi-san?"he questioned her. "There is some people in Konoha who still care for you, Naru."

Naru flinched. "They died during the invasion,"she said stiffly.

Silence followed. "I apologise. I didn't know..."

"Don't be sorry,"Naru cut him off. "It isn't your fault that they're...dead."

Utakata watched her, observing her silently. "But are you sure you really want to leave with me? Leave Konoha?"

"Konoha was never my home." She locked eyes with him, holding back tears as she gave him a slight smile. "They say that home is where the heart is."

"Naru..."

She brought him into a hug. "I can runaway if I want to. There's nothing holding me back from leaving anymore, not really,"she said, her ocean blue eyes boring into his pale golden ones. "You're the only one I really care about that's still living. And..." She glanced down, lightly blushing. "I want more than friendship."

The stunned silence lasted for all of a few moments.

"Naru...you...I don't-"he cut himself off, closing his eyes tightly. "I care for you, Naru, greatly. But I don't know if I'll be able to give you what you want...I've been alone for so long, and I don't think I have it in me to love."

"We can try,"she insisted. "Just...see if it works out?"

"We can try,"he agreed tentatively.

That night, Uzumaki Naru sneaked out of Konoha and cut all her ties with her former village. Once she'd made it to the gate, she'd paused.

"I wonder, Tou-san, Kaa-san...what do you think of me leaving the village you both loved, the village you'd sacrificed everything for?"she asked in a rhetorical manner, already knowing she wouldn't get an answer. Naru resumed her quick pace out of the gate soom after.

Utakata met her at the usual meeting spot. "You know...it still isn't too late to turn back."

"Are you trying to make me go back to Konoha?"Naru asked, grabbing a kunai out of her pouch and giving her foreheadprotector a scratch right through the Konoha symbol.

"No, I just want to make sure you're thinking this through instead of acting on an impulse. But now that you're a missing-ninja, you'll be targeted. For the rest of your life you'll be on the run. Konoha won't just sit back and let you run around the nations. They'll hunt you down because of the blood that runs through your veins and the Bijuu you have."

"Let them try, we'll turn them to dust."

Utakated rolled his eyes at her.

Naru glanced at him. "So, where are we going after this?"

"Anywhere you want,"he answered easily. "As long as it isn't Kirigakure."

A thoughtful look appeared on Naru's face. "How about Kumo?"

Utakata tilted his head, and briefly felt the surrounding area for any close chakra signatures. He detected none other than Naru's and his own. "How about we head there now?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, before she beamed at him and gave him a bright smile that caused a barely visible blush to stain his pale face.

**Sofeyrose: I hope everyone enjoyed reading this one shot. This couple is actually one of my favourites, but its such a rare pairing. There isn't even a story on this site with the main pairing being Utakata and a Fem! Naruto apart from Denied Chunin Exams, as far as I can tell. I hope this has inspired others to make a story about this pairing, because really, this couple needs some love.**


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